Team USA now in town

MANILA, Philippines — The big guns are here.

Members of Team USA, the mighty favorites, arrived in the Philippines yesterday morning with redemption as the only thing in mind for the coming FIBA Basketball World Cup.

Following a rare quarterfinal exit in the 2019 edition in China, a vengeful Team USA that swept all of its tune-ups brims with confidence to get vindication in Manila in spite of a youthful unit without the perennial NBA stars.

And the Americans, under the watch of multi-champion coach Steve Kerr of the Golden State Warriors, will have ample time to polish their preparations before the hostilities fire off on Friday.

Team USA is bunched with Greece, New Zealand and Jordan in Group C that is designated to play at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City along with Group D’s Montenegro, Lithuania, Egypt and Mexico.

Joining Kerr in the American delegation are his assistant coaches Tyronn Lue of the Los Angeles Clippers, Filipino-American pride Erik Spoelstra of the Miami Heat and Chip Engelland, who once played for the Philippines as a naturalized player.

NBA All-Star guard Anthony Edwards (Minnesota), reigning Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr. (Memphis), Rookie of the Year Paolo Banchero (Orlando) and Brandon Ingram (New Orleans) banner the young Team USA.

Also in the fold are LA Lakers’ Austin Reaves, New York’s Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart, Indiana’s Tyrese Haliburton, Brooklyn’s Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson, Bobby Portis (Milwaukee) and Jordan Clarkson’s teammate Walker Kessler of Utah.

FIBA World Cup deputy event director Erika Dy and Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) official Ryan Gregorio personally welcomed Team USA at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).

Team USA is coming off a training camp in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates, where it drubbed Greece, 108-86, then pulled off a come-from-behind 99-91 win over Germany.

The Americans, who won their fourth straight Olympic gold in Tokyo in 2021 after a dismal seventh-place finish in the last World Cup, also bested Puerto Rico, 117-74, Slovenia, 92-62, and Spain, 98-88, for a 5-0 record in tune-up games.

The team from the Dominican Republic, Gilas Pilipinas’ first opponent in Group A, arrived last Monday.

Other teams due yesterday were Puerto Rico, Italy, New Zealand and Serbia while Lithuania, China, South Sudan and Jordan are scheduled to fly in today to complete the 16 World Cup teams assigned in Manila. Eight teams play in Okinawa, Japan and the other eight in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Montenegro, Angola, Mexico, Egypt and Greece were the first to arrive in the Philippines, which will serve as the main host of the world basketball showpiece.